Are you a bodybuilder?
I love working out… a lot. I’m not saying I love working out a lot, I’m saying I love working out a lot. What? I am not referring to the frequency of working out, but mainly to the amount I enjoy it. In reality, I do work out a lot. Like clockwork. Every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Since I travel a lot, it can affect my exact schedule, but I always find a way to get some kind of workout in wherever I am. While I am not into bodybuilding in the traditional sense, I do love lifting weights and want to stay in good shape as I age. Believe it or not, I am actually older now than I have ever been! 😊
When I was in high school, I remember reading a certain Bible passage that bothered me when I thought about how much I enjoy working out:
For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come (1 Timothy 4:8 KJV).
I felt like others might criticize my level of interest, claiming the Bible says there’s not much benefit to exercising. I was very encouraged when I did some further study, including reading a few other versions of the Bible. I found out that this passage actually confirms that physical exercise is beneficial, even though to a lesser extent than godliness. What a relief! I can still go to the gym!
So, what’s with me asking if you are a bodybuilder? As might be expected in these Question of the Month articles, I am not really asking what most might think.
As Christians, we are part of the “body of Christ.” That’s not exactly breaking news, but it helps in making my point. The “bodybuilding” I am referring to is regarding the “body of Christ.” We have three options for everything we do. We can do things that:
- Build up the body of Christ
- Tear down or discourage the body of Christ, or
- Have no real effect one way or the other
You can’t avoid option #3 if you want to live a normal human life. Many things we do are very generic or mundane and will have little to nor effect one way or the other. We don’t need to worry about those things.
The big question is, “What percentage of what we do truly contributes towards, and builds-up, the body of Christ? God doesn’t have us on this planet to be passive observers. He wants us to “get in the game.” Does that mean all Christians need to be in full time ministry? No, but kind of “yes.” I say, “No,” in the sense that it’s perfectly acceptable to be employed as a machinist, salesperson, accountant, doctor, etc. We don’t all have to move to a foreign country and minister to unreached people groups. I say, “Yes,” in the sense that we need to consistently be evangelistic in our interactions with those who are not saved and a great encouragement to those who are.
God has given each believer one or more spiritual gifts. Guess what? They’re not really meant as a reward for us for anything we’ve done. They are tools for us to use as we proactively pursue what God is calling us to do. What are your specific gifts? I have no idea and don’t need to know. You, on the other hand, do need to know. I remember, very vividly, an experience I had about 35 years ago. It obviously impacted me if I still remember it with a fair amount of emotion.
I was at a Brewers baseball game with a friend. Since a lot of baseball games can be a bit “slow” and uneventful, we were in a deep discussion regarding the Christian faith. She was a relatively new Christian and was very much on fire in her faith. At one point, I casually stated that I felt that if we don’t know what our spiritual gifts are, we probably can’t be as effective as God intends. Wow, did that set her off! She was very upset with me, claiming that what I said wasn’t true at all. I dropped that conversation immediately just to salvage our enjoyment of the game together. To this day, I can only guess what would have caused her to react that way. I think she probably didn’t know what her gifts were and felt judged by me, which personally offended her. That was not at all my intention, but I can see how she might have felt that way.
I still think what I said is largely true. That certainly doesn’t mean you can’t be accomplishing what God is calling you to do.
So here are some verses that may help you determine if you are a bodybuilder or not:
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29).
To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12)
Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another (Romans 14:19)
But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13)
So, can you confidently say you are a “body-builder?” Just something to think about. Consider your current priorities and ask God if they need any tweaking. If we’re honest with ourselves, we could all use some improvement.
As always, if you have any questions about this or any other issue, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
